Participation in varsity sports, dance, and Greek life associated with menstrual disturbance in a national sample of female college students

Objective: The objective of this study was to identify university-sponsored activities associated with increased odds of menstrual disturbance among female college students. Participants: The sample included 3,277 female-identifying students at 12 colleges and universities participating in the Healthy Bodies Study during the 2013–2014 and 2014–2015 academic years. Methods: Crude and adjusted logistic regression models were run to report odds of any menstrual disturbance and amenorrhea (AMN) for participants in sports, dance, and Greek Life. Survey weights were used to account for response bias. Results: In the adjusted models, participation in varsity sport (OR = 1.82, CI 1.37, 2.37), dance (OR = 1.68, CI 1.37, 2.05) and Greek life (OR= 2.12, CI 0.13,0.18) was significantly associated with increased odds of menstrual disturbance, compared to non-participants. Conclusions: Findings suggest additional need for prevention and intervention programming against menstrual disturbance in varsity sports, dance, and Greek life activities.